Armor for battleships.



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2.630 A 3mm HARRIET Gr. DAWSON, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

ARMOR FOR BATTLESHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application filed May 9, 1911. Serial No. 625,963.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRIET Gr. DAWSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Armor for Battleships, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to armor for battleships, cruisers, fortifications or the like, and has for an object to provide a protective armor of yieldable elements constructed to effectively cushion the projected shell or explosive and prevent its penetrating the armor.

Another object of the invention is to provide an armor which will embody or include an inner steel plate and an outer elastic surface, the latter being formed of identical sections arranged in substantially belt form about the plate and the belts being superimposed on the plate and the sections thereof associated with their ends in overlapping engagement so as to provide perfect water tight ljoints therebetween.

In the drawing, forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of the armor. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the armor.

The armor is preferably constructed of an inner plate l of hard steel of such thickness which will afford high resistance power to the explosive or shells, and an outer surface 2 of rubber or suitable elastic material, the latter being associated with the former so that in their entirety they form the hull of the vessel.

The outer surface of the armor includes superimposed relatively thin belts, each embodying the identically constructed sections 3 of substantially dovetail configuration, the said sections having oppositely beveled end surfaces 4c which are arranged in overlapping engagement wit-h the surfaces of the adjacent sections as shown in Fig. l. Rubber cement 5 or the like is interposed between the contacting adjacent surfaces 4 so spectively to move relatively when a prof j ectile strikes the outer elastic surface of the armor. The bolts are provided with adjustable clamping nuts 10 which may be brought to bear against the inner surface of the steel plate to hold the same and rubber surface securely connected together.

The armor described can be built at a minimum cost and its use will afford means to positively prevent the penetration of the hull of the vessel by projectiles.

I claim:

l. An armor comprising an inner steel plate, superimposed elastic belts embracing the plate, each belt comprising identically constructed sections having mitered end portions, and elastic fastenings connecting the belts with the plate and also connecting the sections with each other.

2. An armor comprising a Ametal plate, an elastic surface at one side of the plate, casings extending into the elastic surface and provided with cap portions, bolts extending through the metal plate and having pistonlike portions disposed in the casings, and springs interposed between the caps of the casings and the said piston-like portions of the bolts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRIET G. DASON.

Witnesses:

W. C. ALsToN, SIDNEY BARBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

